Squash: Injury, marriage leave Rorani reassessing her future

1.30pm

Leilani Rorani, feeling more contented and relaxed than she has in years, will play the season-ending world teams squash championship in Finland before possibly hanging up her racquet for good.

Rorani (formerly Joyce) left last night for the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and hinted that retirement was weighing heavily on her mind after a six-month injury layoff had given her time to consider her future direction.

The former world No 1 and two-times British Open champion warmed up for Manchester by winning the women's A division at the Bay of Plenty Open in Tauranga at the weekend.

Rorani downed No 2 seed and Games team-mate Shelley Kitchen of Auckland in yesterday's final but it was a five-set struggle, with Rorani eventually prevailing 9-2 6-9 0-9 9-5 9-3.

Former world No 48 Kashif Shuja, of Auckland, took out the men's final, downing Wellington's George Crosby 15-6 15-7 15-10.

The Bay of Plenty Open was Rorani's third competitive tournament since her enforced six-month layoff recovering from a ruptured achilles tendon.

While not ideal preparation for the Games, where she is seeking redemption after a poor performance in Kuala Lumpur four years ago, Rorani said the break had helped her refocus and attain clarity in her life.

"Having six months to sit back, I've come to see what is most important in my life now," Rorani said.

"The injury has helped me and changed me in a lot of good ways, it has taken a situation like that to make me a more well-rounded person."

Rorani remarried at Hamilton's Mormon Temple three weeks ago following a whirlwind romance with Matt Rorani, a relationship she said had added much-needed stability to her life.

"I'm a better person than I was six months ago and things that upset me then no longer upset me. I'm more relaxed and I'm not consumed with squash or other peoples' expectations any more," she said.

"Naturally, while I'm still in the game, I still want to be the best but I'm in a good place at the moment and a lot of that has to do with my husband.

"I'm sure some of that is going to rub off on the court."

Rorani found the first month after rupturing her achilles last December tough.

She said she had been obsessed with squash and was weighed down by the pressure of public expectation on her to win every time she stepped out on court.

"It wasn't a smooth transition (from player to spectator) because I'm not a good watcher and was at a loss with all the extra time on my hands. But I met my husband which, for me, has been great," Rorani said.

"I've always felt a certain anxiety being measured against what others that have gone before me have achieved in squash and have felt pressure to achieve and try and emulate what they have done.

"Instead of looking back now, I've learned in the past few months that I should pat myself on the back more for what I've done.

"I've achieved a huge amount and should count myself one of the lucky ones. I'll always have a competitive edge but I don't need to strive anymore. I know what I've done and I'm proud."

Rorani will play singles in Manchester and will link with world No 2 Carol Owens in the women's doubles and mixed doubles with South Africa-based Glen Wilson.

After such a long layoff and with Australian and world No 1 Sarah Fitz-Gerald's ominous singles form, women's doubles seems to be Rorani's best shot at gold.

"I'm as good as I can be in singles right now and playing at the Commonwealth Games isn't new to me. But Carol and I are feeling really good as a doubles pairing and training with her has helped me get a lot of conditioning back," Rorani said.

"Carol has been really supportive and encouraging and has helped me a lot in the last month. That has been great because in doubles, it is almost as if two players have to become one on court if they want to succeed."

Rorani will play in December's world teams championships in Finland before deciding whether her future is on the squash court.

"If ever there's an opportunity to win the world teams' title, this year is it and I'm quite excited about New Zealand's prospects," she said.

"I'll sit down and assess things from there but, by then, it could be time for a new chapter in my life."

Results

Women:

Division A round one:

1-Leilani Rorani bt 16-Rebecca Hawkes 9-2 9-2 9-2

9-Catherine McLeod bt 8-Kylie Lyndsay 7-9 9-1 9-3 9-5

5-Jackie Hawkes bt 12-Paula Edwards 3-0

4-Louise Crome bt 13-Michel Galloway 9-1 9-6 9-0

3-Lara Petera bt 14-Priscilla Wildsmith 9-8 9-2 9-4

6-Lynora Hati bt 11-Karin Roberts 3-2

7-Kathryn Austin bt 10-Sandra Egan 6-9 9-5 9-2 9-4

2-Shelley Kitchen bt 15-Liz Day 3-0

Quarterfinals:

Rorani bt McLeod 9-7 9-6 9-0

Crome bt Hawkes 9-1 9-7 9-2

Petera bt Hati 9-4 9-5 9-1

Kitchen bt Austin 3-0

Semifinals:

Rorani bt Crome 1-9 9-3 8-10 9-2 9-2

Kitchen bt Petera 9-5 9-3 9-1

Final: Rorani bt Kitchen 9-2 6-9 0-9 9-5 9-3

Third: Petera bt Crome 9-3 9-1 9-6

Special plate final: Austin bt McLeod 9-5 10-9 9-1

Men:

Division A round 1:

1-Kashif Shuja bt 16-Josh Greenfield 3-0

9-Shaun Sansom bt 8-Wayne Reid 3-1

5-Calum O'Brien bt 12-Terry Shaw 3-1

4-Gary Duberley bt 13-Joshua Schwartz walkover

3-Jarred Conning bt 14-Kent Darlington 15-13 15-13 15-13

6-Willie Bicknell bt 11-James Vincent 15-12 15-13 15-13

7-Graeme Wilson bt 10-Tony Fabling 15-14 15-14 15-12

2-George Crosby bt 15-Martin Knight 15-7 15-8 15-11

Quarterfinals:

Shuja bt Sansom 15-6 15-7 15-7

O'Brien bt Duberley 15-8 15-6 15-4

Conning bt Bicknell 15-4 9-15 15-4 15-11 15-7

Crosby bt Wilson 15-8 15-8 15-5

Semifinals:

Shuja bt O'Brien 10-15 15-9 17-14 15-12

Crosby bt Conning 15-11 15-10 3-15 15-5

Final: Shuja bt Crosby 15-6 15-7 15-10

Third: O'Brien bt Conning by default

Special plate final: Duberley bt Bicknell 15-7 15-7 7-15 15-13

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES

Full coverage:
nzherald.co.nz/manchester2002

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